


eyes on me

by Fredwrites



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Near Death Experience, angus gets angery, magnus is trying his best to be a good dad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-27
Updated: 2017-08-27
Packaged: 2018-12-20 17:57:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11926173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fredwrites/pseuds/Fredwrites
Summary: magnus forgets that rushing in isn't always the right answer





	eyes on me

**Author's Note:**

> this was a request from my taz tumblr, @l-u-p go check it out and send me stuff to write!  
> I'm continuing on my quest to give Angus as many dads as i can manage

Magnus and Angus had been out on their camping trip for several days. It had been a delight for both-Angus finally got his head out of his books, and Magnus could spend some time out in his element. As much as he loved his dogs, it was nice to get a break from the busy life he led. 

The forest they'd chosen to camp in, not too far from Neverwinter, was beautiful. It was full of centuries-old trees that crowded the sky with bows of leaves, thick grass, wild animals that Angus stopped to coo over and a number of beautiful clearings full of wildflowers. Currently, the two were sitting at a river and dipping their feet in the water to ease the ache in their soles. 

They'd been walking for hours, finding their way back to civilization. The weekend had been fun, and Magnus had wanted to stay longer, but Angus had insisted on getting back in time for school. For the mean time, the two were sharing leftover hotdogs as they cooled off.

Angus's face was smeared with mud and he had a huge bag of books (on types of plantlife and what was safe to eat) slung around his shoulder. He kicked his legs back and forth in the water, giggling at the fish that swam around his feet. 

"Alright, kiddo, time to hit the road again." Magnus hauled himself up and tied his shoes. He grabbed his luggage and waited for Angus as he struggled to pull his socks onto his wet feet. The two continued down the dirt path, lined with banks of grass. Eventually, there came a point where the river dipped further and further downward, until it reached a frothing waterfall. Magnus whistled. 

"Pretty cool, huh?" He stared down, into the rocky pit below. 

"A-and dangerous." Angus stole a glance at it and then sorely wished he hadn't. A surge of nausea rushed up his chest and he groaned. "S-sir?" He looked curiously toward Magnus, who was looking at the tree trunk that had fallen over the massive crevice of the waterfall. 

"I'm pretty sure we came here that way! See that rock shaped like a frog?" Magnus said, pointing. "I saw it a couple days ago. Looks like this might be a short cut, buddy!"

Realisation dawned on Angus, and his stomach twisted itself into a pretzel ."Oh, sir, y-you're not-you're not suggesting we actually... _cross_ it, a-are you?"

"Of course, Ango!" He took his bag off his shoulder and hefted it up in the air, and, with his usual strength and lack of grace, launche it over the waterfall. It landed in a messy but intact heap on the other side. Before Angus could protest, Magnus had grabbed his bag full of books and thrown it to join the other. "If we don't, we'll be travelling well into the night."

The boy gasped, involuntarily, as he heard the sound of books hitting the ground with a loud thump. A few tumbled out onto the grass. A bubble of irritation popped in Angus's throat, and he nearly choked on it in the effort to stop it escaping his mouth. 

"Those-those are library books! Oh, shit, the librarian is gonna muh-murder me!" Angus clutched a handful of hair from under his cap and tugged on it, the other hand clasping the side of his face. 

His attention was grabbed by Magnus testing the stability of the tree trunk with his foot. Angus gave a muffled shriek from behind his hands, which he now had clapped over his mouth. His companion glanced backward and smiled. 

"Don't worry Ango, it's totally safe. This thing has probably been here for years, and it obviously hasn't budged an inch!" A little tentatively, Magnus took a step forward until he was standing fully on the tree trunk. He took another step; there was no groan or creak detectable. "See? I'm fine!" 

Magnus continued to walk, his arms outstretched, eyes trained on the trees on the other side. Angus watched through his fingers, his breathing so quick he thought his lungs would cease to inflate. He was trembling at the knees, and almost melted into a puddle as Magnus reached the other side, hopping onto the grass and curtesying. 

"Hey, dude, I'm all good over here!" Magnus thumped his chest with his fist. "Your turn now!"

Angus shook his head fervently, a low moan reaching up out of his throat and over his tongue as he squeezed his eyes shut tight. "Can't," he mumbled, feeling as if he had regressed to a toddler. He felt pathetic. World-renowned detective, Angus McDonald, reduced to a toddler by a stupid tree trunk. 

Frowning, Magnus leant forward a little. "Ango, buddy, look up." He did, reluctantly, squinting. "I know you can do this. It's only a little walk, just a few metres. You can make it."

Angus looked up at the sky, which was pinkening as evening approached. He swallowed hard, and let his eyes rest on Magnus, who had his arms open wide. There he was, waiting. All Angus had to do was make it to him. Deep breaths, steady legs. 

He shuffled up to the start of the trunk, and placed one trembling foot on the surface. Magnus was right, it did feel fairly safe. Of course it was, this would be simple as could be! Angus put his other foot onto it, and began to walk. He moved as slowly as he could, his motions deliberate. Sweat trickled down his temple. He held his arms out like Magnus had, steadying himself. 

Everything was going well, until Angus chanced looking down. The water, white and furious as gnashing teeth, frothed and foamed below him on a deathbed of jagged rocks. Instantly, his limbs turned to jelly and bile rose in his throat. Then, a squawk rang out across the treetops, and a flock of birds took into a noisy flight. Spooked and already weak, Angus started, stumbled and fell.

Magnus gave an indistinct yell as he did so, Angus unable to produce any noise, considering that his vocal chords felt as if they had a fist around them. He landed so his chin smacked against the wood and his glasses fell askew across his face. He held onto the trunk for dear life, one leg dangling off the side. He felt his shoe come loose and didn't dare move, knowing it would plummet into the water below.

It was then that Angus heard another sound, a sound about as welcoming as the ticking of a bomb, over the thrum of his own heart in his ears. A low creaking, and a noise that vaguely reminded him of popping ice out of its tray. It was the sound of the only thing between him and certain death failing him. 

"Angus," Magnus breathed, lowering himself onto his knees. The boy could barely hear him over the sound of groaning and popping. "Angus, you have to start moving, and now. If you don't, you're going to fall and die. I can't come get you, I'm too heavy. You have to look up and come to me."

Angus didn't know how, but he managed to pry his eyes open and fix his vision squarely on his companions's face, which was sweaty and pale. A bout of hysterical laughter punched at the insides of his cheeks, at the sight of someone so large and burly and fearless so incredibly frightened. He had an arm held out to Angus. 

"That's right, sweetheart," Magnus said, his tone firm but his figure quaking. "Don't look down. Eyes on me."

Trying, desperately, to shove the shuddering of the trunk below him into the corner of his mind, Angus wobbled to his feet. The surface below him slipped and dipped, and then Angus was running, as fast as he could to Magnus, and leaping toward his frame as a resounding _CRACK_ burst out behind him. 

For the next few seconds, everything was dark, as a herd of horses rode around Angus's head, and he clung onto something firm and warm like a kitten. Once he realised he wasn't dashed on the rocks, he dared to open his eyes, and found that he was staring at a checked white and red shirt. He almost passed out then and there, but was thrust away from Magnus's chest and up into the air, held between his hands. 

Magnus had tears streaming down his cheeks, and looked like he'd lost a decade of his life. The two began to sob uncontrollably, the older bringing Angus into a tight embrace. He could hear his heart drumming in his ribcage. Once he was finally let go, he took a seat and waited for his breathing to slow to a more regular pace. 

"God, Angus, I'm so, so sorry, I should've listened, I shouldn't have-" Magnus was cut off as Angus stumbled to his feet and, rearing back, punched him in the jaw. 

Magnus gave a choked cry of suprise and shook his head. He swilled spit in his mouth and spat, eyes widening as the liquid was marbled with red. "Holy hell," he muttered. 

" _That_ was for endangering my life," Angus said, his face contorted into a furious mask of his usual innocence. "And _this_ is for almost getting yourself killed too, you reckless bastard." He slapped Magnus's opposite cheek, his chest heaving, and pushed his glasses (now sporting a cracked lense) up the bridge of his nose. 

Shock and anger silenced the both of them, staring it out for a few moments, as Magnus rubbed his wounds. He looked at Angus with a sense of...respect.

"Wow, kid, I didn't...know you could punch like that."

"Yeah, well, I've been practicing," Angus said shakily, rolling up his sleeves. He eased himself down next to his friend, picking at the grass. He spent a moment stewing, face like a gnarled tree, before he relented. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

"Huh?"

Magnus looked down at him, his smile wan. "I was a real ass. I'm sorry I pushed you like that. You're not some dumb kid, you're eleven now-"

"Twelve, sir." Angus gave him a look. 

"Right." He looked up and out. "Despite everything, I'm still Magnus and...sometimes I forget that rushing in isn't the right thing to do." He sighed. "It's gonna take some time to change, but I swear, I'm not just gonna put today behind me."

Magnus jumped a little as he felt a pair of tiny arms wrap around his torso. "You stupid idiot," Angus said into his shoulder, sniffling. "I only did that because I love you. I don't want you to die." 

Something tender pushed at Magnus's heart, and he smiled, his eyes prickling a little. He picked Angus up, putting him on his shoulder. He patted Magnus's head as the two set off the way they had come. "I love you too, Ango. Let's go home."


End file.
